A grieving family unknowingly cremated a stranger’s body following a serious labelling error at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, whilst another family buried the wrong person entirely.
The devastating mistakes at Scotland’s largest hospital were only discovered after both the cremation and burial had already taken place.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the country’s biggest health board, has issued a formal apology acknowledging that “two families have been caused significant additional distress at an already very difficult time.”
The health board confirmed that mortuary workers passed an incorrectly labelled corpse to funeral directors, triggering the chain of errors believed to have occurred last month.
The wrong body was cremated
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PA
Staff members connected to the incident have been suspended pending a comprehensive investigation into how established identification procedures failed.
Dr Scott Davidson, medical director at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, attributed the incident to human error and confirmed that rigorous protocols for body identification had not been followed.
“We have very rigorous processes for the identification and labelling of bodies from arrival in our mortuaries until their release into the care of an undertaker,” Dr Davidson stated.
“It is of deep regret that these processes have not been adhered to on this occasion, and that as a result two families have been caused significant additional distress at an already very difficult time.”
The NHS is under fire again
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NHSThe medical director added: “We launched an immediate investigation into this incident and will ensure that learning is applied.”
Both affected families have been informed of the error and are receiving full support from the health board.
Scottish Conservative public health spokesman Brian Whittle condemned the incident as a “shocking and unforgivable failure” by the health board.
“Families entrust the NHS with their loved ones at their most vulnerable moment, yet basic procedures have been ignored with devastating consequences,” the MSP said.
Mr Whittle pointed to the hospital’s troubled history, noting that similar mix-ups had occurred previously at the same facility.
“After previous mix-ups at this very hospital, there is no excuse. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde must be held fully accountable and explain how on earth this was allowed to happen,” he added.
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which opened a decade ago, has faced numerous controversies including infection outbreaks and concerns regarding water and ventilation systems that remain under investigation.
A Scottish Government spokesperson expressed serious concern over the incident, offering condolences to those affected.
“We wish to express our sincere condolences to the families involved with this terrible incident,” the spokesperson said.
“We are deeply concerned by what has happened and have been clear with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that they must fully investigate the circumstances.”
The government indicated it would also examine findings from the senior inspector of burial, cremation and funeral directors regarding the matter.
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital has been plagued by scandals since opening in 2015, including the death of ten-year-old cancer patient Milly Main in 2017 following an infection linked to contaminated water, and the closure of two child cancer wards due to infection concerns.
